


Birds?

by Seagoatink



Series: Survival Isn't Pretty [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Dad Anderson - Freeform, Fluff, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 17:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8169793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seagoatink/pseuds/Seagoatink
Summary: Her dinner date chuckled under his breath and set his cards down as well. “You and I know damn well that would not have gone over well with the turians if they found out what a cricket looked like,” he defended. “And besides, at least some birds look dignified. Majestic even.”Takes place during ME2





	

After Saren, the destruction of the Council, and Shepard’s near dismissal Shepard took an open apartment at the Citadel. The place was now a frequent stop, and indulging in such an expense would pay off over time. Besides, after Mindoir, nowhere felt like home. But it would be a place to keep her shit, and a place for her brother to stay if push came to shove. The last thing she wanted was for her belongings to get blown up on her ship. Then Shepard would have nothing to burden her brother with.

So far, the place was furnished with a bedroll, a table, two chairs, and dishware. There was nothing in the fridge save for a dozen eggs and some butter. As she took out the one frying pan she had and started the stove, the buzzer for the door went off. Shepard turned off the stove, hoping maybe she had ordered pizza and forgotten about it.

On the other side of the door stood Anderson with a deck of playing cards and a brown, paper bag. The commander’s shoulders dropped. She was not expecting her superior to show up at her door with take-out and playing cards. “Being on the Council has its perks,” he stated simply, knowing Shepard would have asked how he even knew she moved into an apartment. “I thought you could do with a little housewarming party.”

“Anyone else coming along for this so called Party?” Cheska asked, trying to peek behind Anderson and see if he brought anyone else to celebrate with.

The man shook his head. “No booze either.”

There was a sigh of relief as Shepard stepped aside. “Make yourself at home. I’ve only got the necessities for now.” The two existed together in comfortable silence. In fact, Shepard found comfort in Anderson’s presence. It was a rare feeling for her to have around anyone. “Do you have utensils? I don’t think I’ve bought any yet,” Cheska admitted while searching the cupboards in the kitchen.

David Anderson was a step ahead of her at the table. He splayed the contents of the take out back on the surface, finding exactly what she was looking for. When she glanced in his direction, he held them in the air. “I trust these are what you meant?” The Councilor asked, chopsticks in hand. “There are some spoons here too, for the soup.”

“Soup?” Cheska asked, closing the cupboard. “What kind?” Whenever food was mentioned, she lit up like a kid in a candy shop. “Oh, uh, do you want some water? I actually have some glasses believe it or not.”

“Yes, please,” said Anderson as he sat down. “And, Cheska, it’s your favorite kind: Dumpling.”

A big grin worked its way onto the Commander’s face.

The food was delicious, as was most Citadel food. David had brought a variety of foods, both for his own enjoyment and to show Cheska all the best places to eat. At least, good places for humans to eat. “I heard you have some of your original team working for you. Tali’Zorah and Vakarian?” He started, hoping to learn a bit more about her. Ever since he found her on Mindoir, she was fascinated with other races. Granted, she was less interested in Batarians for a while, but that was to be expected.

The Commander smirked to herself as she put down her hand of cards. “They’re both damn brilliant. Quarians are resourceful as all Hell, and I feel like I learn something new every time I’m anywhere near her,” Cheska said. She was absentmindedly sifting through her cards. “And Garrus -You know, you’re quoted in every fucking textbook known to humanity saying Turians look like birds. BIRDS! David, they look like crickets. They _chirp_ like _crickets_.”

Her dinner date chuckled under his breath and set his cards down as well. “You and I know damn well that would not have gone over well with the turians if they found out what a cricket looked like,” he defended. “And besides, at least some birds look dignified. Majestic even.”

“Have you ever actually looked at a forward facing bald eagle? They look silly,” Cheska retorted.

David sat back in his chair. Shepard knew him long enough to know he wanted to talk about something more serious. His eyes lost that shine, their gleam of happiness and joy. “You know, when I found you on the colony, you threw up on my jacket and made to get away.”

The woman placed her elbows on the table and rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. “I… I really don’t want to go back there right now, Da-” She stopped herself. “David.”

“I saw your brother found you. You bailed him out from incarceration on one of the Salarian worlds, right?”

“I thought he was dead. I knew he wasn’t there during the... the attack. But I figured, maybe the ship was… I don’t know. I thought it got destroyed or something maybe. I was all over the news,” Shepard muttered under her breath.

Anderson repositioned himself in his chair, folding one leg over the other. “I saw something in you, Cheska. I doubt he would have lived through Mindoir in the way you did.”

“I-”

“Do you regret living with me, instead of finding your family again?” Anderson asked.

She sighed heavily, but shook her head. “No. You met my grandparents, my cousins. Had some choice messages with other relatives. You know they didn’t understand. They didn’t want to take me in. I’m not going to say it’s because they took him in, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what happened.” Shepard was quiet for a time. There was a lot to think about. “What brought this up anyway?”

“Look at me, Cheska.” When she met his request, he saw her red eyes and paled face. It was not his intention to make her relive or even think about the attack on her colony, but he knew it was all bothering her. “I know you have a lot on your plate. Hell, you might even get killed. Again! But I know damn well you need to put the past behind you and not let it get in your way, or you may really die again. And there will be no Cerberus to bring you back.”

“Dad, I,” Cheska stopped herself. She wanted to be angry. Hell, she wanted to cry too. Pretending to be distant with Anderson was not going to help her work through her thoughts either.

“We’re family, and I don’t want to have to hold another service for you,” Anderson said, doing his best to assure her. “Your crew feels the same way.”

There was an unspoken, “If you want to talk about anything I’m here for you” in his voice.

She was worn down from fighting grotesque creatures that were once human, and he was tired of politicking. “Are you upset with me… For making you a part of the Council, I mean?” Cheska asked meekly.

Across the table, she watched with relief as he shook his head. “It’s a challenge. Politicians are a lot of things, but I know you trust Udina as far as you can throw him. If I were in a position to speak freely about the man, I’d probably say the same. But, Cheska, everything’s a challenge anymore. I’m sure shooting up husks and gangs, and whatever else gets in your way isn’t much different.”

The two often had conversations about how difficult their tasks were. Regardless of challenging it really was, they agreed that it was still hard. That was what mattered in the end. Of course, dealing with stubborn politicians was a different variety of trying from shooting up monsters that were once humans. But at the end of the day, the shit that got done was hard to do.

Shepard swallowed hard and played with her fingernails. Looking for dirt that was not there was possibly the only distraction other than cards that she had in her empty apartment. “I was worried I upset you. You know, curse my name, piss on my grave kinda upset. And you really could have pissed on my grave, you know that?” She chuckled, albeit in a more depressed tone than he had hoped to hear.

“We’ll put it this way, I’m glad you weren’t cremated.” They laughed together as Shepard sniffled into her sleeve. Anderson stood. Cheska followed suit. He held out his arms, and she hugged him. “Your brother has you to fall back on now. But you have me, and you’ve had me since we first met. Don’t you forget that.”

“Thanks for coming to see me tonight,” Cheska offered awkwardly with her cheek smushed across the Counsilor’s chest. In a way, she found it funny how he had been her commanding officer and superior. Their family bonds were unofficial, and she was perfectly fine with that given she was in her late teens when they met. Still, they were family, she considered him the closest thing she had to a father figure in her life, nix her grandpa. But somehow, she felt more secure with that thought now than she ever had.

He held her tight to his chest the way any other father would. Her tears would likely stain his T-shirt, but casual clothes were made for crying on. “It’s your first apartment,” Anderson said softly. “I’m proud of you and I wanted to be here for you too.” David should not have been surprised when Cheska gripped him tighter, but he was. He was happily surprised.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Nebulad's Shepard fic way back when. My original prompt was "Shepard confronts Anderson about turians. They look like crickets for fuck's sake!" It turned out a bit heavier than I originally intended, but there is a beauty in balance.


End file.
